1. Field
The present invention generally relates to techniques for characterizing a computer system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus that characterizes a response of a component in a computer system to vibrations generated by the computer system.
2. Related Art
Characterizing the response of components in a computer system, such as disk drives, to vibrations generated by the computer system can be important in both designing computer systems and diagnosing problems in computer systems. However, there are many types of disk drives, each of which can be used in many different computer systems, making it a potentially time-consuming and expensive process to test each disk drive with each possible computer system it may be used in. Additionally, a disk drive manufactured after a computer system is placed in the field may never have been operationally tested in the computer system before it is installed. If the operation of the newly manufactured disk drive in the field is impacted by vibrations generated by the computer system, then the performance of the computer system may be reduced and maintenance costs may be increased.
Hence, what is needed is a method and apparatus that characterizes a response of a component in a computer system to vibrations generated by the computer system, without the above-described problems.